Compound rail



J. K. BOYD. CbMPoUNDB/HL.

. 1,346,394 Patented July 13, 1920.

. NNII WN m 2 .UNITED STATES JAMES K. BOYD, OF WILFINSBURG, PENNSYIN'ANIA,`

coi/iroUNn RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

Application 'filed April 7. 1920. Serial No. 372,020.

To all vzw/wm t may concern:

Be it known that l JAMns K. BOYD, a citizen of the United otates, and resident of lVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and citate of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compound Rails, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of rails used in building the tracks of electric, steam and similar railways, and is an im provement in ther construction of rails of the general class shown in my prior Patent No. 1,265,422, dated Way 7,- 1918.

rl`he weight of the rolling stock of railways has enormously increased inl recent years, while the strength and durability of the track rails, although being constantly increased in size, has not kept pace with the increase in the loads sustained by the rails. One reason for this is because ofthe impossibility of increasing the size ofthe head of the track rails and at the same time to work the metal of the rail head to the exf tent necessary to make the steel dense enough to have the desired wearing qualities with existing mill equipment.

In the use of compound rails it is found that the rail heads tend to creep lengthwise on and relative to the girder or base portions of such rails. This creeping action is more marked on straight stretches of railway track and becomes increasingly greater with increase in the size or weight of the loads hauled on tracks built of such rails.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a compound track rail of improved construction, whereby the desired increase in strength, rigidity and wearing. qualities is obtained, and whereby the possibility of relative longitudinal movement or Acreep ing between. the head and girder or base of the compound rails is prevented and overcome.

Another object of the invention is to pro- .,vide a compound rail having novel means whereby the parts of the rail are assembled and detachably held in assembled relation.

A further object. of my invention is the provision of a compound track rail having the novel constructions, arrangements, and

Vcombinations of parts shown in the drawings, hereinafter described in detail, and

lparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. v t

Referring now to the drawings,vforming part of this specification, Figure l is a sectional end elevation showing a compound rail embodying my invention, the section being taken on the line I I of F ig. 3.

F 1g.'2 is a sectional end elevation taken on the line H-ll of Fig. 3.

ig. 3 is a side elevation on a smaller scale, showing contiguous alined track rails asassembled and joined in constructing railway. tracks employing 'my Vimproved rail.

Fig. l isa horizontal section taken on the line IV IV ofFig. 2, showing the way in which the abutting ends of adjoining rail heads are offset to prevent creeping.

In the accompanying drawings, the head A forming the wearing surface of my imi proved compound rail is shown supported upon the flanged base or girder B of the rail, being 'fastened to the girder by means of clamping members formed by the clips C and head clamping splice bars D.

The rail head A comprises a wearing surface 2 having integrally formed marginal flanges 3 3, the lower ends 4 4 of the flanges 3 3 being turned outward, substantially at right angles to the other part of these flanges, and the flanges 3 3 forming a groove in thelunder surface of the head A, the so-formed groove having inwardly iiiclined or converging side surfaces 5, as is clearly shown in Figs. l and 2. The vertical axis Y-Y of the Oroove is' offset from a vertical plane K midway in the overall width of the head, as is shown in Figs. 'l and 2, the groove being formed in this way for aV purpose to be explained later.

The girder or Stringer B of the rail com prises a vertical'web 6 having oppositely eX- tending'bottom flanges 7 7 and oppositely extending top flanges 8 8 at the edges thereof. Y I

An integral projection or ridge 9 is provided on the girder B above the flanges 8 8, this projection having inwardly and upwardly sloping side surfaces l0 l0 and having a contour which preferably is made to neatly fit within the recess or groove in the lower faceof the rail head A, and have a surface contact therewith. (See Figs. '1 and 2).

The vertical axis Y Y of the projection 9`on the girder B and interfitting groove in the lower face of the head Ar is not coincident with the parallel vertical axis K X of the girder B, but" is slightly offset thereboth the head A and girder aresymmetrii the clearance necessary in the rolling 'operathe upper surfaces 11 of the bottoni flanges?.V

tions. VThe ends 4-4of the flanges 3 on the rail head A also taper, the sloping upperk surface 13 thereof being inclined andk eX- tending Vin a plane parallel to the plane of "The clamping clips C by which therail head A is detachably secured in place ontop of thegirder Bhave a web 14' whose end or girder engaging surfaces 15, "16, are oppositelyinclined at the same angle as the upper surface 1-1 of the bottoni flanges 7 and V under surface 12 of the topnfla'nigesk 8 ofV thexgirder B, and the upper edge of the web 14 lhas a bent fliange 17 which coacts with the lsurface 16 of the'web`14 in forming a double taper groove 18.V The sloping side'surfaces 16 and 20. of 'the -Ogmovesl are oppositely inclined and lentend in'planes parallel with the* sur- AV face 13 of the rail head A and surface 12 of the' girder 4flangesl 8. VThe grooves A18 are In a'de deep enough topermit Aof adjustment so as to tightly wedge the head Aj inplace ened on the fastening bolts 22. vRegistering holes 23 and 24 are provided in the web of the `clips and rail girder B :for the bolts22.

Theclainping splice plates D -have aweb 25 with a foot 26vonone anda flange 27 on -the other edge thereof. The sloping surfaces728 andV 29 of the splice plates D (like length to receive one clamping bolt.

the corresponding surfaces ofthe clipsfC) Vare oppositely inclined, and have an included angle the sameas that between the surfaces 11` and12 of tliegirder B.

' The flange 27 on the upper edge ofthe l"spliceplates D is bent toforin a double taper groove 30,*being formed inthe saine "manner as-thebgroovefin the'clips C, and for `the saine purpose, and-registering holes 23, 24 are provided in the Vweb of the'splice plates'D and girder Blfor the fasteningbolts 22, these bolts being held in place by nuts 22. The splice plates D, aswill vbeseen inFigs.

and f4, are 'of suflicient lengthito provide for two bolts 'for each end of `abuttingrail girders, while 4the clips C preferably are comparatively short, and of only sufficient It will 'be obvious, however, that they'inay be inade longer when found desirable orrnecessary.

The clamping splice plates D fasten. the rail 'heads *A to Athe girders B adjacent to the abutting 'jendsbf .adjoining Jgirders, `and `a series offthe clips? @will be einplo-yedftofffas- -It will be noted that the surfaces 15 and 28 of the clips C andsplice plates D, respectively, bear on the upper inclined surfaces 11 of the `bottoni flanges 7 of the girder B, and

that the loads put upon the rail head will be transmitted through the clipsV and `splice plates to the bottom flanges of the rail and,

through the vbottoni flanges T, to the ties supv.

porting the track rails. The spacing ofthefbolt `holes 24 in the web ofthe rail girder-.preferably will be a multiple of the distance between lthe bolt the-holes in this maiiiier adapts Va pair of the splice plates D tobe applied to the rail to temporarily fasten together theends of a broken rail girder 4or rail head by substituting a pairlof splice plates D for two-or -inore cf the clamps C. i

' The heads and Agirders ofthe rails preferably will `be of equal length Vand will fbe asn sembled so that fthe joints between the ends of the rail heads will be in the same trans verse -vertical plane as the joints Abetween tlie-ends-ofithe girders. At suitablyLspaced intervals in the length ofthe track formed by these rails, asralgirjder and its head will Jbe turned endk for end soas to bring the axis `Y--'Yof thegroove `in-:the :rail head onthe oppositeside of the axis X-X of the ad .Joining .-rails. This, as is shown in Figs. 1

and 2, offsets the projection i9 -on `one rail 4relativeto the projections 9 of the adjoin- :ing rails, `andl causes the endsgof the frail fheads to engage withthe ends of theprojections 9 on the rail girder and base .so as to positively prevent creeping .orv relative llengthwise movement of `the rail headson `the girderor base. `Thile ordinarily it is only necessary `to oifsetor reverse only one of `a considerable nuinber of rails in `order l holes 23?in'the splice plates D. Arranging Y to preventlcreeping, the alternate Vrails v'of ai v the track may be reversed when considered Y advisable orinecessary.A 1 Y v :Theadvantages of Iinyinvention will be appreciated bythose skilledinthe art. The head Vand the v4girder of which the rail 4is :formed,are designed so as to be readily rolled, Vthe contacting surfaces betweenthe head and girder, arefof a'contour which enables the parts to'be'inade within the usual workingliinits andv at'the Sametime provide a slight draw on the parts in tightening the clamps andfclaniping splice plates on the raihand creeping of the .railheadsonthe `,girder orfbases, ofV the rails kis avoidedlTwand is positively prevented without 1the use y of Y additional parts.

A,The composition" of the metalin the head,l fwhichrin-ay be different from that in the base or -girder can bei'ordinaryurail steel yor of -highfearbom alloy, orlieattreated steels,v of quality not possibleitofuse with ordinary `T rails. The girder may be made voiffaiiy grade'` of steel-that Laffords the y"necessary iso 'strength and elasticity Without taking into account the Wearing qualities, as is necessary in an integrally formed rail.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made Without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a compound rail, the'combination of a rolled steel girder, said girder having a web and top and bottom anges with a longitudinal ridge extending above the top flanges, said ridge having upwardly converging sides, an integrally formed rolled steel head on top of said girder, said head having a longitudinal groove in the bottom thereof of the same contour as said ridge, and the vertical axis of said ridge and groove being offset with respect to the vertical axis of said girder, and means for detachably securing said girder and said head together.

2. In a compound rail, the combination of an integrally formed girder, said girder having a web and top and bottom flanges With a longitudinal ridge extending above the top flange, an integrally formed head having a groove in the bottom surface thereof, the vertical axis of said ridge and said groove being offset with respect to the vertical axis of the Web of said girder, and means for securing said head to said girder.

3. In a compound rail, the combination of' a girder member and a head member, said girder and head being so constructed and fitted that the head of one rail Will abut the girder of the next adjoining rail to prevent creeping of said head relative to said girder.

d. In a compound rail, the combination of a girder member and a head member, detaohably secured together, said girder -and head being so constructed and fitted that the end surface of the head of one rail Will abut the end surface of the girder member of an adjoining rail to prevent creeping of said head With relation to said girder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set y m hand.

y JAMES K. BOYD. 

